Centrifugal machine



- along Patented Dec. 31, 1929 ritiri-:IstrA OFFICE UNITED STATES 'WILMEB H. BATH, 0F WEST CONSIQHOCKEN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T ATHE SHARPLES SPECIALTY COMLPNY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- RATION 0F DELAWARE 'CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE Application filed October 10, 1928. Serial No. 311,563.

This invention relates to centrifuges and pertains more especially to devices for centrifugally separating liquids.

In such devices,vthe separated liquids are discharged from a rotating bowl in dispersed condition -into stationary annular chambers, the' inner edges of the top and bottom walls of which are spaced slightly from the upper surface of the bowl. Rotation of the bowl causes rotation of the air surrounding it due to surface friction between the bowl and the air. The rotation of the air develops centrifugal forces therein which tends to cause a flow of air through the spaces between .the bowl and the edges of the chambers and also the top and bottom walls of the chambers. As a result, some of the liquids are carried by the air currents out of the compartment into which they were dischargedfrom the bowl. The liquids carried out of one chamber may be introduced into another chamber or into the casing of the centrifuge, thus causing either interminglingor loss of the separated liquids. l

An object of this invention is to counteract i the effect of the air currents above described and conne the liquids to the compartments into which they are discharged from the bowl.

Other objects, novelfeatures and-advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings wherein:

' The igure 1s a vertical section of a centri-l fuge embodying the invention.

The casing of the device is designated by the reference character 10, and within this casing is rotatably mounted a bowl 11. This bowl is provided with a head 12 having passageways 13 and 14 through which the separated liquids are discharged inv dispersed' condition. The head is also provided with a neck 15 by means of which the bowl 11 is supported and rotated by suitable 'driving means (not shown). A cover 16 surrounds the bowl 11 and is supported b the casing'lO. A second cover 17 is supporte from the rst cover 16 and forms therewith-a. chamber into which liquid is discharged'from the bowl 11 throu h ed, 17 and forms therewith port -by the cover Therefore, the air in contact a chamber into which liquids are discharged from the bowl 11 through the passageway 14. The covers 16 and y17 are provided respectively with spouts 19 and 20 by means ofl greatest centrifugal force and vice versa.

,T he centrifugal force in the casing will therefore' be greater than that in the chamber formed by turn, will be greater' than the centrifugal force developed in the chamber formed by the cover 17 and lid 18.

As a result, there will be a tendency for air to flow from the upper chamber into the lower chamber and from the latterv into the casing. There maybe a fiow of air in or out of either spout 19 or 20 according to the amount of air which passes through the annular spaces. The air in contact with the surface of the bowl will have a greater anguiar velocity than 'the air incontact with the top and-bottom walls ofthe chambers. with the top and bottom walls will have less centrifugal force than the air midway therebetween and accordingly the rotating air vwill move inwardly ina spiral direction along such vwalls and move outwardly in a spiral direction intermediate the walls.

The currents of air thus produced by rotation of the bowl'tend to carry out from the chambers some of the atomized liquid sus'- pendedin the air therein as `well as to carry liquid which has been deposited on the bottom and top walls vof the' vchambers toward the inner edgesv of 'the coversfromy which it maydropor be blown downwardly out of the chamber by the above-described air currents.4 As a result, liquidsdischarged into one of the chambers'may be carried out therefrom into another chamber or into the casing mingling or loss of the separatedliquids.

the covers 16 and 17 which, in.

According to this invention flow of air from'the upper chamber to the lower chamber is prevented by tproviding an upwardly flaring collar 21 an supplying air intermediate the edges of the collar to the space between the bowl and collar and to the space adjacent the lower edge of the collar. The cover 16 is provided with a pair of annular partitions 24 and 25, the outer edges of which are soldered to the cover. 'These partitions, together with the bottom of the cover form the passageways.

22 and 23.b The collar 21 is soldered to the inner edges of the partitions 24 and 25 and is slotted intermediate such partitions as at 26. The lower end o f the collar is spaced inwardly slightly from the inner edge of the bottom of the cover' to provide an air passage 28 that opens downwardly in the construction illustrated. The cover is slotted as at 27 so that the passagewa-ys 22 and 23 communicate with the exterior of the machine. The passageway 22 communicates with the interior of the collar while the passageway 23 communicates through the annular passageway between the collar and the inner edge of the coverbottom.

The air rotating in the space between the l collar and the bowl develops a centrifugal force causing it to have an outward pressure. The outward upward slope of the collar 21 causes such pressure to produce upward flow of air along the inner surfaces of the collar and outwardly across the top ed e thereof into the chamber.

he passageway 22 supplies suflicient air to the space between the bowl and the collar that the upward pressure created by rotation of the air in such s ace is suiiicient to prevent flow of air from t e top chamber to the bottom chamber. The passageway 23 .supplies air adjacent the bottom of the colla;` 21 in sufficient quantity to satisfy the downward suction produced by rotation of the bowl and thus revent downward bleeding of the upwar draft produced in the space between the flaring portion of the collar and the bowl. In this way there is no diversion downwardly of any of the air su plied through the passageway 22 as would be the case if the passageway 23 were not provided.

The iow of a1r in the space between the bowl and the collar is therefore directed upwardly and outwardly across the top edge of the collar. This current of air tends to carry outwardly of the chamber any liquid which mayhavefcollected onthe top-edge of the collar as well as any atomized liquid in the vicinity thereof. The loss of liquid from the upper chamber to the lowerchamber is thus efectivelyprevented and the liquid discharged into the upward. chamber is confined therein.

Although in the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed the collar 21 is supportpassageways 22 and 23 for4 ing loss from the lower chamber to the casavancee` ed by the cover 17 and prevents lossfrom the upper to the lower chamber, it is apparent that it is within the contemplationof this invention that the collar be supported by the vcover 16 for the purpose of prevent- 7o ing. The invention can be made useof wherever it is desired to prevent loss from a discharge chamber of a centrifugal machine.

It is, of course, understood that various structural modifications may be made in the above disclosure without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. In a centrifugal machine, a casing, a bowl rotatably mounted therein, covers forming chambers for receiving liquids dischar ed from said bowl, an upwardly flaring colar carried by one of said covers, an air assageway communicating with the space tween the bowl and collar at a point intermediate the edges of the collar and an air passageway terminating adjacent the lower edge of said collar.

2. In a centrifugal machine, a casing, a bowl rotatably mounted therein, covers forming chambers for receiving liquids discharged from said bowl, an upwardly flaring collar carried by one of said covers, an air passageway communicating with the space between the bowl and collar at a point intermediate the edges of the collar and an air passageway terminating adjacent the lower edge of said collar, said passageways extending through the wall of said cover.

'3. In a centrifugal machine, a casing, a bowl rotatably mounted therein, covers forming chambers for receivin liquids discharged from said bowl, a pair o artitions forming passageways extending t rough the cover an upwardly flaring collar carried by sai partitions and having its lower ends spaced from the bottom wall of the cover, said cover being slotted intermediate said partitions.

4. In a centrifugal machine, a casing, a bowl rotatably mounted therein, covers forming chambers for receiving liquids discharged from said bowl, a collar carried by one of said covers and having an upwardly diverg- 115 ing portion, means to supply air to ow 'upwardl in the dyerging portion of said collar and downwardly therefrom.

5. In a centrifugal machine, a. casing, a bowl rotatably mounted therein, coversiform- 1m ing chambers for reoeivinglliquids discharged from said bowl, an upawr y diverging collar carried by one of said covers, means to supply air ,at a point adjacent the space between the collar and bowl to produce an upward in such space and prevent bleeding of such draft by downward suction produced by rotation of the bowl.

6. In a centrifugal machine, a casing a bowl rotatably mounted therein, covers forining chambers for receiving liquid discharged from said bowl,va collar carried by one of said covers and having its upper portion laring outwardly, means for supplying air to th space between the iaring portion of the collar and the bowl to produce upward air iow4 therein, and means to prevent downward diversion of air supplied by said means.

7. In a centrifugal machine, a casing, a bowl rotatably mounted therein, covers forming chambers for -receiving liquid discharged from said bowl, a collar carried by one of said covers, means to supply air tothe space between the bowl and the collar at a level intermediate the top and bottom edges of the collar to lproduce upward air ow in the upper portion of such space and means to supply additional air to prevent downward bleeding o air supplied by said first mentioned means.

8. In a centrifugal machine, a casing, a

bowl rotatably mountedtherein, covers form-v ing chambers for receiving liquid discharged from said bowl, a collar carried by one of saidl covers, means for supplying air to the space between the collar and the bowl to produce upward air fiow in `said space, and means to supply additional air to prevent downward diversion of air supplied by said irst mentioned means.

9. In acentrifugal machine, a bowl mounted for rotation, covers forming chambers for the reception of substances discharged from the bowl, one of said covers including a wall having its edge adjacent said bowl, and independent means respectivelyl for supplying air respectively for upward flow' and for downward flow with respect to said edge of said wall.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication.

wILMER H. BATH.- 

